Duckling with wry neck and slipped tendon

[HarveysMom36]

Hi everybody! I just joined this site yesterday for support for my Muscovy duckling Harvey. He (or she, not sure) is around 8 weeks old now, and I’ve had him for 7 weeks. He was a wild duckling my neighbor found, but due to his breed, wildlife rehabbers wouldn’t take him. He has wry neck and a slipped tendon. For the week she had him, my neighbor fed him chick feed with nutritional yeast. I switched him to duckling feed when he was 2 weeks old. He also started getting weekly vitamin injections for 4 weeks. The vet has been kind but not optimistic about his slipped tendon or wry neck, since he still isn’t holding his head up straight. He can eat and drink on his own, but when he tries to turn his head to the left, it starts shaking. I don’t know if this is neurological or due to weak neck muscles on that side. Has anyone had a duckling fully recover from this condition this late in the game? Anything else I can do for him to give him the best chance at doing normal duck things? Should I be worried about his beak changing color??

 

[Chicken boy 1156]

I’m so sorry to hear that!

 

[Quatie]

Wry neck can be treated with vitamin E and selenium, assuming it is wry neck. There are other neck deformities that can't be cured. It would be worth trying the vitamins, but it is possible it won't improve.

For the slipped tendon, unfortunately it is likely too late and would need to be corrected with surgery. That doesn't always work. The tendon sits in a groove in the hock joint. A niacin deficiency can lead to groove disappearing.

Sorry, I wish I had better news.

 

[HarveysMom36]

Wry neck can be treated with vitamin E and selenium, assuming it is wry neck. There are other neck deformities that can't be cured. It would be worth trying the vitamins, but it is possible it won't improve.

For the slipped tendon, unfortunately it is likely too late and would need to be corrected with surgery. That doesn't always work. The tendon sits in a groove in the hock joint. A niacin deficiency can lead to groove disappearing.

Sorry, I wish I had better news.

Thank you for the information. Should I try surgery sooner than later or wait until he’s reached a certain stage in development? When I brought him to the vet at two weeks old, the vet gingerly tried to pull the tendon back into place but was hesitant. He was placed on Meloxidyl to help with inflammation. She referred me to two other vets who do orthopedic surgery on ducks. One said they didn’t have pins small enough for a duckling. The other vet wouldn’t perform surgery without me surrendering him because he was found in the wild. Due to his breed, I don’t think they’re allowed to release him back into the wild even if he was healthy. Regardless, he’s been my baby for nearly two months. I had his sibling for the first two weeks but he didn’t make it.

 

[Quatie]

Thank you for the information. Should I try surgery sooner than later or wait until he’s reached a certain stage in development? When I brought him to the vet at two weeks old, the vet gingerly tried to pull the tendon back into place but was hesitant. He was placed on Meloxidyl to help with inflammation. She referred me to two other vets who do orthopedic surgery on ducks. One said they didn’t have pins small enough for a duckling. The other vet wouldn’t perform surgery without me surrendering him because he was found in the wild. Due to his breed, I don’t think they’re allowed to release him back into the wild even if he was healthy. Regardless, he’s been my baby for nearly two months. I had his sibling for the first two weeks but he didn’t make it.

A vet would know best when to do surgery.

Are you planning on keeping him as a pet?

 

[HarveysMom36]

A vet would know best when to do surgery.

Are you planning on keeping him as a pet?

Yes as long as he isn’t suffering. He would be easy prey for both animal and human predators in the wild.

 

[Quatie]

Yes as long as he isn’t suffering. He would be easy prey for both animal and human predators in the wild.

Since it is a muscovy and you are planning on keeping it as a pet, I wouldn't mention you got it from the wild in the future. They are kept as pets, so no one would really know.

I can understand why they want it surrender, since they are invasive in areas. But I don't see the harm if it is now a pet that is separated from the wild population.

 

[HarveysMom36]

Since it is a muscovy and you are planning on keeping it as a pet, I wouldn't mention you got it from the wild in the future. They are kept as pets, so no one would really know.

I can understand why they want it surrender, since they are invasive in areas. But I don't see the harm if it is now a pet that is separated from the wild population.

Harvey is mine now. I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to fly, but I’ll clip his wings if I have to. I’m not handing him over to anybody for them to turn around and euthanize him or use him for research. He’s no burden to society or threat to the ecosystem in my care. And if people can raise this invasive species just to slaughter them for foie gras, I can try to save one.